“I mean, what if the killer just happened to use four knocks and you opened the door, and they came in here and blew everyone away? How would you feel then?”
“Dead,” Oz said.
Al and Tony both turned away as if they couldn’t contain their laughter but didn’t want to offend Officer Clark by losing it in front of her. Marty just shook his head and Mel wasn’t sure if he was more boggled by Officer Clark or Oz.
“You’re intentionally missing my— Oh!”
Her words were abruptly cut off as Oz held up a cupcake in front of her. It was one of their Pucker Up ones, a lemon cake with a tart lemon buttercream frosting.
“Have a cupcake,” he said.
She glanced up at him. “Thank you.”
The smile she sent his way was a stunner and Mel glanced at Angie to see if she was getting this. Angie looked back at her with her eyebrows raised as well.
“Okay, then, I have work to do,” Oz said. He reached around Tate and scooped up the parchment paper with his fondant, which had begun to dry out, and then he pushed through the swinging doors into the front of the bakery.
Mel gave Officer Clark a side eye and noticed she was watching the door where Oz had disappeared with a speculative gleam in her eye. Huh.
Now that they knew their sister wasn’t a target, Tony and Al left, taking Marty with them. Tate and Angie followed shortly after. Mel knew that they were still processing the fact that their friend was gone, but she suspected their grief was less complicated now that they knew Blaise’s death had nothing to do with them.
Joe and Mel were ready to go, too. Mel said good night to Oz and told him not to stay up too late. Since he had moved into the apartment above the bakery, he’d taken to doing the midnight baking that Mel used to do. In fact, it was getting so that she relied upon him to start the baking day without her. She wondered if maybe it was time to give him a raise.
He locked the door after them and Joe and Mel walked Cassie to Officer Clark’s squad car. Clark opened the back door for her, but Cassie waved her off.
“I’m not sitting in the back,” she said. “I’ll have nightmares.”
“It’s pretty cramped up front with my computer taking up half the seat,” Clark said.
“I don’t care, Officer Clark,” Cassie said. “I refuse to look like a criminal when I arrive home.”
Mel had a feeling her brush with jail had been too close for comfort. She couldn’t really blame her.
“All right,” Clark said. She opened the front passenger door. “And since we’re going to be spending so much time together, Ms. Leighton, you might as well call me Hayley.”
“And you can call me Cassie, thank you,” Cassie said. Then she turned to Mel. “And thank you for all of your help tonight.” She gave Mel a quick hug and turned to get into the car. Before she sat down, however, she whipped around and looked at Mel in alarm. “Oh, no, Peanut! Who’s going to take care of Peanut?”
“Peanut?” Mel asked.
“Elise’s dog,” Cassie said. “We have to go get her. The poor thing will need food and water and a walk. Besides, what if the person who assaulted Elise goes to her place? Peanut could be in danger!”
Ten
“When she said ‘we,’ how did that turn into you and me taking care of the dog?” Joe asked as he followed Hayley’s squad car to the townhouse Elise had been renting for the month.
Mel shrugged. “Cassie is allergic.”
“Do we even know what kind of dog it is? It could be one of those tiny little yappers or a massive beast that leaves poop the size of watermelons in the backyard.”
Mel cringed. She had no idea what to expect. She just knew that she wasn’t going to leave a dog shut in a townhouse when they had no idea when Elise would be discharged from the hospital.
“Hayley called Uncle Stan and he said it was okay so long as we didn’t touch anything but the dog,” Mel said. “He’s going to try and meet us there.”
“He’s not going to meet us there,” Joe said. “Because he’s single and lives alone and he would be the most logical choice to take the dog. He won’t risk it.”
Mel had a sneaky suspicion Joe was right. “Maybe we could get my mom to take it.”
“I’m not doing that to Joyce,” Joe said. He gave a small smile. “I don’t want her ‘dear Joe’ to turn into ‘damn it, Joe.’”
Mel laughed. “Honestly, I’m just hoping that the dog is cat-friendly. I don’t want to traumatize Captain Jack. He’s had enough upheaval in his little life, being abandoned as a kitten and all. The last thing he needs is a dog making his life a misery.”
“Agreed,” Joe said. “Captain Jack has right of refusal on the dog.”
They parked next to Hayley’s squad car and followed Cassie towards the entrance to the townhouse. There was one main entrance to the luxury building, which led to a bank of elevators. Because of the late hour there wasn’t a person in sight. Cassie led the way, using a keycode to access the elevator.
As if sensing everyone’s questioning gaze, Cassie said, “She gave me the code to her townhouse so I could water the plants while she was on the book tour.”
“And I’m sure she’ll verify that if it’s needed,” Hayley said as they filed into the elevator. She crossed her arms over her chest and studied Cassie with a speculative glance.
Having been on the end of a few suspicious gazes in her time, Mel felt for the bookseller. It was not the best seat in
